Art of covering electric wires



Patented Mar. 31,1891.

(No Model.)

T. W. NORMAN.

ART OF COVERING ELECTRIC WIRES.

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ART OF CUVERING ELECTRiC \NiRES.

SPECIFIOATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,168, dated March31, 1891.

Application filed April 29, 1890. Serial No. 349,978. (No model.)

To all whom 2'75 may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. NORMAN, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Art of and Means for Covering insulated or otherWires, of which the following is a specification.

My in vention relates to modes of and means for covering insulated orother wire, cords, or similar articles, it being the object of myinvention to provide such improvements in the mode and means aforesaidas will cheapen the cost of the product, facilitate its manufacture, andeffectuate a better article than heretofore.

My invention will be described with special reference to the covering ofinsulated wire with a lead covering, though it will be understood thatthe process and means explained may be employed in the treatmentofcognate or similar things.

In the covering of insulated wire it has been proposed heretofore tofeed the wire through a mold and to compress a heated softened leadcovering around it as it is fed or passed through the mold. It has alsobeen proposed to cover the wire by passing it through a mold or formerand forming and chilling molten lead around it as it is fed forwardthrough the said mold or former. My improvements differ from theseprocesses in that I form the lead covering into a strip or ribbon andscarf or shape the edges so as to secure a smooth overlap, and thenincase or wrap the wire in such strip and solder the overlapping edges.

The process may be carried out with means of varying form andorganization; but I will herein undertake the description of but oneform and arrangement of means which I may employ.

Reference is to bel id tothe annexed draw ings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, forming apart of this specification, the sameletters indicating the same parts or features, as the case may be,wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of a machine which maybeemployed in carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional detailshowing means which may be employed in scarfin g or beveling the edgesof a lead covering. Figs. l i, and f are sectional details showingdifferent steps in the process of covering the wire.

In carrying out my invention 1 take a covering a. in the form of a stripor ribbon of suitable character to cover the wire I) and pass the saidribbon through a former 0, so as to give it a trough-like shape, asshown in Fig. 3. i then guide the wire into the troughformed covering bya wheel (I or other suitable means and pass the wire and covering soplaced through another former c, which nearly or quite bends thecovering over the wire, as shown in Fig. i. l "hen pass the wire throughstill another former f, which completes the bending of the coveringaround the wire, so that the edges meet or overlap, as shown in Fig. 5,when, if the covering is of metal, the edges are passed beneath asoldering-iron g, and by this means are united, after which the coveredwire may be smoothed and finished by being passed through afinishingformer h.

The soldering-iron may be heated by a flame t' projected thcreagainstupon one or both sides, and if the covering for the wire is of lead nosolder need be applied thereto, but the edges of the metal may be fusedand made to serve as solder. In case the covering is of other metal thanlead which is not quickly fusible, solder may be applied along themeeting-line of the covering before it passes beneath thesoldering-iron. Again, it the covering should be atextile fabric orother material than metal which would require gluing, then glue insteadof solder may be applied to the edges before they, with the wire, arepassed through the formcrf, or it may be afterward.

In instances where the covering is of metal the edges may be scarl'ed orbeveled by means of rotary wheels j 7., having suitably-formed blades7-, which actupon the edges of the ribbon, as shown in Fig. 2.Stationary knives may, however, be employed instead of the wheelsj 7.1.

It is to be observed that I may employ a greater or less number offormers than is shown, though the number shown will be found efficientfor the purpose.

The wire may be insulated before being laid into the covering, or it maybe laid in bare and the covering be made of insulating material.

Changes may be made in the form and arrangementof parts comprising themachine without departing from the nature or spirit steps graduallyinclosing the covering over the wire, and soldering the meeting scarfededges of said covering, substantially as set forth.

2. As a means for covering wire with a metallic strip or ribbon ofmetal, the combination of scarfing-wheels to act upon the edges of thestrip, formers for wrapping the strip around the wire, and a heatedsoldering-iron for soldering together the meeting edges of the strip, asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of April, A. D.1890.

THOMAS V. NORMAN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. (JRossLEY, EWING W. HAMLEN.

